Need help finding the right place for single middle aged lady in DFW (Dallas: fit in, renting)

[blanket fort]

Hi everyone. I'm having a hard time settling in and am hoping the collective brain here has some suggestions.


About me
- I moved to Frisco 8 months ago.
- Prior to that I had never lived in Texas.
- I am a woman, mid 40s, and I live alone.
- I am a telecommuter, but my company has an office in Plano and I drop in once in a while.
- I decided on DFW because it is centrally located, has a strong economy, affordable homes, nice people, and not much winter weather.
- I chose Frisco because I had to make a choice based on one rushed three-day visit, and Frisco seemed safe, well maintained, and quiet. I didn't want to live right in the city and Frisco is a popular and highly regarded area.


It was difficult to decide where to move because I lack many of the factors that people use to narrow down their target (commute, good schools, being near friends and family). All of the research I've done seems to focus on young singles, or seniors, or families with small kids. I don't fit into any of those categories so it has been difficult finding a lifestyle fit.


I knew after about a month that Frisco isn't quite right for me. Yes, it is safe, it is quiet, and the people are nice. But I know now it is too deep in suburbia for me. It feels far away from everything and there aren't many activities for grown people. Frisco has a lot of family-friendly activities, but not much for someone like me with no school age children, and I'm having a hard time meeting people. (I've had a few people mention joining a church, but I'm not religious and it wouldn't feel right.)

I'm renting right now, but intend to buy a home in the next 6-12 months. DFW is so big, I'm having a hard time finding an area that fits me.

What I'm looking for in a location:
- Townhomes or smaller homes in $350k range. I don't need or want a big yard.
- A place with a sense of community (I recently went up to McKinney, and found the downtown area charming, but it felt like it was in the back of beyond.)
- Near a lake or a park with walking trails (desperately in need of some natural beauty besides grassy fields)
- A place with things to do. I like theater, shows, shopping, and community events like concerts, fairs, and festivals. I also enjoy going places like botanical gardens, art/science museums, planetariums, etc.
- Near an animal rescue or two where I could volunteer
- Close enough to make a quick run to the shops, Target and Kroger

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

[CMC_TX]

Originally Posted by blanket fort

Hi everyone. I'm having a hard time settling in and am hoping the collective brain here has some suggestions.


About me
- I moved to Frisco 8 months ago.
- Prior to that I had never lived in Texas.
- I am a woman, mid 40s, and I live alone.
- I am a telecommuter, but my company has an office in Plano and I drop in once in a while.
- I decided on DFW because it is centrally located, has a strong economy, affordable homes, nice people, and not much winter weather.
- I chose Frisco because I had to make a choice based on one rushed three-day visit, and Frisco seemed safe, well maintained, and quiet. I didn't want to live right in the city and Frisco is a popular and highly regarded area.


It was difficult to decide where to move because I lack many of the factors that people use to narrow down their target (commute, good schools, being near friends and family). All of the research I've done seems to focus on young singles, or seniors, or families with small kids. I don't fit into any of those categories so it has been difficult finding a lifestyle fit.


I knew after about a month that Frisco isn't quite right for me. Yes, it is safe, it is quiet, and the people are nice. But I know now it is too deep in suburbia for me. It feels far away from everything and there aren't many activities for grown people. Frisco has a lot of family-friendly activities, but not much for someone like me with no school age children, and I'm having a hard time meeting people. (I've had a few people mention joining a church, but I'm not religious and it wouldn't feel right.)

I'm renting right now, but intend to buy a home in the next 6-12 months. DFW is so big, I'm having a hard time finding an area that fits me.

What I'm looking for in a location:
- Townhomes or smaller homes in $350k range. I don't need or want a big yard.
- A place with a sense of community (I recently went up to McKinney, and found the downtown area charming, but it felt like it was in the back of beyond.)
- Near a lake or a park with walking trails (desperately in need of some natural beauty besides grassy fields)
- A place with things to do. I like theater, shows, shopping, and community events like concerts, fairs, and festivals. I also enjoy going places like botanical gardens, art/science museums, planetariums, etc.
- Near an animal rescue or two where I could volunteer
- Close enough to make a quick run to the shops, Target and Kroger

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Since you mentioned you initially liked that Frisco is well-maintained, clean & safe, did you already rule out Dallas itself due to being too urban and older / more dirty (depending on the area)? Reason I ask is Dallas seems like it’d be good on the surface because they have the most townhomes / condos + access to the things you say you like to do.

Since I’m guessing you don’t want Dallas proper, I think you’d really like Grapevine and should look into it. Reason being, it’s clean, well-maintained, less chaotic feeling / more suburban than Dallas. They have festivals and things going on throughout the year & you are a few minutes from DFW to fly anywhere or travel on a major highway.

The only thing is 350 might be tight, but there are older townhomes and homes that sometimes come available.

I totally see where you’re coming from! There are professionals who live alone but do NOT want to live in Dallas for whatever reason. When you don’t want to live in Dallas and want to live somewhere nice & clean, it’s hard to find somewhere around here that offers that middle ground of being clean and safe, but not being surrounded by kids and families.

[bgNCATL]

This is a tough one! What exactly do you like to do? Are you looking to hopefully meets someone or continue to be single and mingle? Maybe look for something around Addison or maybe Las Colinas.being in Mid 40’s and single can be a bit tough as most spots are either going to cater to 20’s and 30 year olds or

[f4shionablecha0s]

Lmao the idea of living in Dallas is so foreign to the suburbanites on here... This forum is ridiculous sometimes.

This is very easy. Set White Rock Lake as the center of your search and explore the surrounding neighborhoods.

[Leonard123]

Have you considered Plano itself? Otherwise, I would think those things would be in Dallas or some of the older areas around it like Garland, Richardson, Carrollton, or Lewisville. North Texas probably isn't the best place for any nice landscapes.

[blanket fort]

Thanks for responding and the suggestions. You have no idea how much it helps just having a place to start. I've been doing the "just go out there and drive around thing" but with no idea what I'm doing. It feels like wandering around the galaxy hoping to run across a planet. It took me 45 minutes just to get to Dallas last time I drove down there, so I prefer to have a plan of attack so I can make better use of my time.

I don't mind being in Dallas proper, just not central downtown where it's harder to make a quick run to the grocery or whatever. I was under the impression that Dallas is more expensive than the suburbs, so I haven't delved too far in that direction. But if there are suggestions within the city limits, I'll put them on my list to check out.

I have been to downtown Plano. It looked like just one cute street. Maybe I was in the wrong place?

As far as dating, I'm not too concerned about that. Just looking to meet people and make friends to things with.


Thank you again!

[JTC Mom]

If you are willing to consider a condo instead of a townhome, I would recommend looking along Turtle Creek Blvd between Wycliff and Lemmon. It's a beautiful area and close to lots of shops and restaurants (walkable, if you are so inclined). Alternatively and in the same area there are condos and townhomes just off Oak Lawn between Armstrong and Lemmon. In both cases the zip code is 75219. The properties in your price range will be older. 30-40 minutes to Plano.

Another option to consider is near Addision around Midway and Keller springs. There are older townhomes and condos in that area and lots of things nearby but it is not much of a walkable neighborhood IMHO. It will be relatively close to Plano. 10-15 minutes to Plano.

One other options is "behind the Pink Wall" - older condos near the Northeast corner of Northwest Highway and Preston. Zip code 75225. I have many 40-something girlfriends who live there. These are all condos, I believe, not townhomes. But a very desirable area. Walkable to Preston Center. 15 min to downtown Dallas, 20-30 min to Plano.

[ChristieP]

$350k in Grapevine will be a tiny fixer-upper house, or a fixer-upper townhome.

I agree to look in the White Rock Lake area of Dallas. The Little Forest Hills, Casa View and Lochwood neighborhoods may have places in your price range.

[TheOverdog]

I have been to downtown Plano. It looked like just one cute street. Maybe I was in the wrong place?

Nope, that's downtown Plano, and it's about as far as you can from an actual lake in DFW, though some ponds with walking trails around them are to the east.

[NP78]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

$350k in Grapevine will be a tiny fixer-upper house, or a fixer-upper townhome.

I agree to look in the White Rock Lake area of Dallas. The Little Forest Hills, Casa View and Lochwood neighborhoods may have places in your price range.

You can’t even get an empty lot for less than $400k in Little Forest Hills or Lochwood. Casa view might have options but you aren’t really in the WRL area at that point, JMO.